Sense And Sensibility

Dom Perignon oenologist Nicholas Lane talks about the finer points of champagne and the maison’s best vintages.

- Mindy Teh

A sparkling luncheon held at the St Regis Kuala Lumpur recently was presided by Dom Perignon’s oenologist, Nicholas Lane, a transplanted Kiwi native now lending his expertise and palate to the renown maison. He talks to The Peak about some of the champagne house’s best vintages.

What makes Dom Perignon stand out? 

Fundamentally, I think it’s the long-term vision and ambition of the brand, right from the inspirational Dom Pierre Perignon himself. He was a bit of a perfectionist, also a man with a certain ambition and vision for his wine across the world. I think that’s the real driving force behind Dom Perignon – we can talk about the vineyards and the technicalities, and some of those things are very important, but the vision of Dom Perignon is to keep the brand dynamic and moving. Take this bottle of P2, released after 17 years. You can’t do that unless you’ve got a long-term vision; even a vintage is released after eight to 10 years.